SBC announces New Standard Cycle program, helps community

John Bennett and Jennifer Colestock of the Savannah Bicycle Campaign have been trying for years to get more people to ride bikes in Savannah.

Bennett has a doctorate from Valdosta State in Public Management and used to write a column called “The News Cycle” for the Connect before being named the Campaign Director for the SBC. Last year, Colestock gained some notoriety when she won the “Dump the Pump” challenge in which she beat a bus and car in a commuter race to downtown Savannah.

According to their press release, the SBC’s New Standard Cycle program “serves people who need safe, affordable and reliable transportation to get to work.” They maintain that they are not a bike co-op or a repair shop but rather, they team up with other community programs to identity “deserving individuals” and provide them safe transportation to work or school with their donated and refurbished bicycles. Some of the main contributors to the program are the Metropolitan Rotary Club and several of the bike shops downtown.

At a press conference on January 30, John Bennett wanted to make sure that Savannahians understand that the SBC wasn’t just going to hand out bicycles. They will give individuals training and necessary equipment, such as helmets, locks, and indicated lights before putting them on city streets.